Pickleball Magazine 2-2 Courtesy of The Pickleball Guru | Page 22

FROM THE USAPA Pickleball Takes Center Stage at the Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo BY DICK AND DESIRÉ OSMAN, USAPA AMBASSADORS, CHARLOTTE, NC The USAPA Grant Program BY USAPA GRANT DIRECTOR RAY PEREYRA U I n January, the 5th Annual Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo, sponsored by healthcare provider Novant Health, drew more than 3,100 folks who take an interest in their personal health and fitness. Pickleball was showcased in the center of the expo on two temporary courts that were laid out on the floor of The Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte. Many of those attendees stopped to watch pickleball being played by advanced local players on a Demonstration Court. Other local players served as coaches to explain the game to about 200 people who (after signing a liability waiver) stepped onto the Try-Out Court to whack a pickleball around for the first time. Many took handouts explaining “What is Pickleball?” and requested more information on clinics and places to play. Local DJ Maney from KISS 95.1 FM radio joined us on the Demonstration Court to challenge our demo players and visitors. He 20 was a quick study and rapidly picked up the game. Our team of coaches and players included USAPA Ambassadors Peter Popovich, Virginia Popovich, Sara Nolan, Laura Patterson, Sandra Stewart, Sharon MacKenzie, Frank Kinder and ourselves. We were joined by volunteers Mark Rankin, Bill Cooper, June Lohner, Tom Luddy, Dave Brown, Patty Matthews, Carlos Garcia, Terry Frye, Greg Harabin, Larry Blythe, TJ Druckenbrod, Patrick Norris and Carol Chun. These stalwarts played and coached continuously for the nine hours of the expo and were flexible, welcoming, helpful and enthusiastic—all in all, great representatives for the sport of pickleball and our community of pickleballers in the Charlotte area. Pickleball continues to grow explosively in the greater Charlotte area with over 37 places to play currently, and six clinics for beginners were scheduled in the six weeks following the expo. • TO SUBSCRIBE CALL 724.942.0940 OR GO TO THEPICKLEBALLMAG.COM S A PA i s p l e a s e d t o announce that Colby- Sawyer College has now added pickleball to its intramural program. Colby–Sawyer College is a private, comprehensive baccalaureate college situated on a 200-acre campus in New London, in the Lake Sunapee region of New Hampshire, founded as a co-educational academy in 1837 (colby- s a w y e r. e d u ) . P l e a s e c o n t a c t the USAPA at www.usapa.org/ usapa -grant-program-rules for more information on our community grant programs. Enjoy a brief video at youtu.be/ xNKG1qQeWK4 in celebration of the new program.